Big Fortified Tasting: go hard or go home

On 9th May 2018, I went to my first edition of the fabled trade tasting, the Big Fortified Tasting. The clue is in the name. And it is indeed big, with somewhere north of 300 wines to taste, plus masterclasses for those fortunate enough to get places. One has to gird ones loins and get on with it. Though one must also be selective, so there was plenty I didn’t cover.

Though vins doux naturels style wines like Banyuls, Maury et al were generally not represented, this can be considered a festival of great Sherries, Madeiras and Ports, with a fair slug of Aussie fortified ‘stickies’ to boot.

I tried many, with an emphasis on Sherry. As I had found judging Sherry in the first week of Decanter World Wine Awards, just 6 days earlier, the overall standard of these wines is high. Moreover, the VORS (and VOS) quality designations for the brown styles are genuine markers for quality. This was particularly clear with Bodegas Tradición’s focus on VORS, and Fernando de Castilla’s VOS-equivalent Antique range showed well as ever.

Also, it was a pleasure to taste Delgado Zuleta’s resurrected very old Palo Cortado and Hidalgo-La Gitana’s 15 year-old Aniversario bottling shone. Finally, the non-descript name, Viniberia belies a series of almacenista bottlings that reached some sublime heights – a pleasure to reacquaint myself.

There was plenty to celebrate in Madeira, including a first taste of Henriques and Henriques’ 20 year old Verdelho, which shared the elegance of their 20 year old Malvasia and Terrantez wines, previously drunk.

In Port, as well as with a further sampling of Kopke’s excellent aged whites and tawnies, Liz Gabay MW pointed out Quinta do Mourão, who I had not encountered before. Their 50 and 90-year old White Ports were an experience. The 50 year old was the wine of the BFT, for me.

I thought Warre’s new vintage-dated Otima 2006 tawny was good value for money, while tasting a barrel sample of a special blend of 1950s / 60s / 70s / 80s / 90s tawnies to celebrate the 102nd anniversary of Porto Barros promises much when it is finally released. I’ve enjoyed several vintages of Quinta dos Malvedos, and the 2005 Vintage Port is a very fine effort.

Finally, it was intriguing to taste a range of Aussie fortifieds, especially to compare Topaque with Muscat, and across the quality hierarchy there. Hugely sweet, and some very satisfying indeed.

My somewhat rough tasting notes and scores are in order of categories tasted, then in booklet order, rather than the order either of producers or of wines that I actually tasted in.

Barbadillo Manzanilla ‘Solear’ NV (15.5 / 20)Is the same as the straight Manzanilla sold in Oddbins, but just a year or two older.
A: Pale gold
N: Creamy, yeasty, more broadly nutty and aldehydic
P: Nutty-salty

Delgado Zuleta Amontillado Zuleta VOS Edición Copa Jerez NV (18.5 / 20)
Revived after a period not making it as it was hard to sell. This then won the Copa Jerez, hence the special edition. And well justified!
A: Pale-medium amber
N: Mahogany, hazelnut, spice, old cheese
P: Super-dense, spicy, old cheese, salt, polish, toasted hazelnut. Long